When the Flowers Bloom in Ba Sing Se
by illrain666
Summary: The promise of a new beginning  Toko


Iroh lazily walked through the bustling, crowded streets of Ba Sing Se, smiling once in a while at familiar faces that greeted him as he passed them by. He was laden with the pleasant burdens of a full morning's shopping in the city's incredible marketplace. He so enjoyed himself during these little trips. On such days, he would usually wake up before the sun had even risen, so that he would be one of the earliest people in the square before the merchants could even begin opening their stores and displaying their wares. Then he would treat himself to the hot chocolate drinks and warm pastries that the food vendors had on offer as he exchanged news and gossip with other citizens who were about on the same business. Once the shops welcomed their first customers, he would be at the head of the crowd, bargaining with all the cunning that he possessed so that the storekeepers would simply throw up their hands in surrender at the end and exclaim, "All right. All right. Take whatever you want at whatever price you can afford, you old fox." Of course, the shop owners were all familiar with his ways by this time, and the act of haggling had become no more than a friendly contest between the merchants and Iroh to see who could outwit the other so early in the day. He would then pay for his purchases with a satisfied grin and slip in some coupons for free meals at his famous tea shop, and the merchants would smile and declare quite honestly that he was their favorite customer.

The old Fire Nation general and former Crown Prince beamed in pleasure as he rounded a corner and finally beheld the attractive facade of the Jasmine Dragon, the business establishment that he had made prosperous with his own hard work and passion for good tea. He now owned the place wholly, having bought out his financier shortly after the end of the Great War. The place had then undergone several major renovations to make it more spacious for the large mass of customers that dropped by every day once Iroh had decided to serve full meals as well as tea. Its upper apartments had also been improved and made more comfortable since Iroh had opted to live in the shop instead of keeping a separate residence, and a few rooms had been added for the use of guests. These living quarters often served as home for Avatar Aang and his friends whenever they were visiting Ba Sing Se. Iroh always welcomed them warmly for he enjoyed their company, and saying goodbye to them once they were about to depart on another mission or adventure was often a heart-wrenching experience. The process of rebuilding a world and restoring balance was a difficult one, and these young people he was so fond of had the great burden of soothing the deep wounds that a hundred years of war had wrought on the planet. If he had been younger, he knew that he would have been journeying with them. But his old bones were weary after a long life, and so he sought to help them in the only way he could: by providing them with a safe place where they could be simply who they were without the cares that typically consumed them, along with wise advice and delicious tea.

Thinking of the Avatar led his thoughts to the visitor who had appeared quite unexpectedly on his doorstep over a month ago. He was closing the shop with his two assistants when the door burst open once more and a familiar, disheveled figure stepped inside with a cheeky grin and a nonchalant greeting, "Hey, Iroh! What's up?" Toph Bei Fong, the famous blind Master Earthbender, had then headed straight for the kitchen, declaring that she was starving, and proceeded to eat everything edible she could lay her hands on. Iroh had dismissed his assistants and served her himself, not at all surprised or offended by her behavior, and asked her for news of the world outside Ba Sing Se. She told him about the new treaties that Aang had successfully brokered, the Fire Nation's rebuilding efforts in the Earth Kingdom as part of its reparation deal, Sokka's engagement to Suki (to which Iroh replied, "It's about time he does the honorable thing by that fine woman!"), then—to his complete gratitude—she produced a letter that his nephew, Zuko, had asked her to deliver to him.

"And how was my nephew doing when last you saw him?" he inquired before he opened the scroll to read it.

Toph, who had been laughing and joking since she arrived, suddenly became somber. "He's so sad and angry all the time, Iroh," she told him. "I hardly recognized him. Of course, Sokka said that used to be his default personality before he joined us during the last weeks of the war, but I never really got to see that side of him. The sad and broody part, yes, but the angry part? Not so much. I think he's trying to kill himself with all his Fire Lord work."

Iroh felt his heart break at her description of his nephew's behavior. He sighed. "It is always a hard thing to live after losing someone deeply loved." Once again, he felt the loss of his beloved Lu Ten and his wife, the family that he had been denied growing old with. He knew full well that the grief never really left; it only abated for a while until another reminder would bring it crashing back to overwhelm one's emotions. Knowing that Zuko had been going through the same experience since the death of Mai and their unborn child two years earlier only seemed to compound Iroh's own pain. He wiped the tears that had sprung to his eyes and tried to smile at Toph. "Why don't you have more tea while I read this letter?" he suggested as he grabbed hold of the pot.

His young friend patted his hand affectionately. "I'll serve myself," she said. "You go ahead and read that letter."

So Iroh read what Zuko had written on the scroll while Toph drank more tea, then he gave a small cry of delight. "He is coming here!" he announced joyfully. "Zuko will be taking a holiday from his duties so he can come and visit me! He will be here in about a month's time. This is wonderful news!"

"Really? I'm glad for you," Toph looked very pleased at how happy the letter had made Iroh. "I think you've got Katara to thank for this. She nagged him day and night about taking a vacation while we were in the Fire Nation a few weeks ago."

"Then I will thank her for her concern when I see her again." Iroh was so heartened by this news that he felt the stirrings of his appetite once more even though he had already eaten a rather large dinner. "Hmmm. I think we should celebrate these happy tidings with more cake, and something stronger than tea."

Toph laughed when he served her some rice wine that he said he had made himself. She teased him about betraying his love for tea by trying to become a winemaker, and he responded that he was merely experimenting with the creation of other drinks to satisfy his curiosity. Upon taking his first sip of the wine though, Iroh choked and coughed at its harsh flavor, causing the Earthbender to laugh harder when she had no such trouble gulping down the drink. She ended up consuming the contents of the entire jug, seemingly without any ill effects. However, she did mellow enough to confide in Iroh the reason she had traveled to Ba Sing Se.

"Before we left the Fire Nation," she told him, "I got a letter from my parents asking me to come home. They said that they had arranged for me to marry the son of a business partner. The others were furious on my behalf, and they decided to go talk to my parents for me and try to change their minds. Sokka then suggested that perhaps I should come see you here. If I had remained in the Fire Nation, my parents could have caused a political incident by demanding that I be deported or something, and Zuko doesn't need to deal with that along with everything else he's got to worry about. So, can I stay here? Only until Aang sends word that my parents aren't going to make me go through with the marriage, so I won't be in the way forever."

"Of course," Iroh immediately replied. "This is your home in Ba Sing Se. I would be very glad to have your company while I prepare for my nephew's arrival."

So it had been settled, and Toph had quickly made herself at home in the Jasmine Dragon. She helped out as much as she could and became so proficient at serving tea and bossing people around that his employees soon considered her as Iroh's deputy more so than his official assistants. The old Dragon of the West grew even fonder of her during her stay, if such a thing was possible, and he often thought that it was a shame her parents had no appreciation of her true worth. But helping him run the tea shop was not the only thing that Toph did while she was in Ba Sing Se. To Iroh's amusement as well as his consternation, the boyish Bei Fong heiress finally made a belated realization sometime while she was taking down customer orders and beating down anyone who challenged her claim of being the greatest Earthbender in the world: Toph discovered she could charm boys.

Soon, the tea shop was overrun by besotted admirers who came and ordered copious amounts of tea, though they barely finished their beverages because they were too busy trying to flirt with Toph and convince her to have dinner with them, or go for a walk, or see a theater performance, or do all sorts of activities that they hoped might interest her. Toph, for her part, thoroughly enjoyed all the attention lavished on her and blossomed every day, becoming lovelier and lovelier yet never losing the brashness of manner and sharpness of wit that made her one of a kind. Meanwhile, Iroh noted all these developments and hoped that the girl he secretly considered as his daughter would not end up breaking too many hearts, for that fact would certainly come back to haunt her when she got hers broken in turn.

He smiled now as he went inside the shop and saw her pacing before the assembly of employees, giving them the little speech she always made at the start of each new business day.

"All right, soldiers!" she barked. "Yesterday, we were able to successfully serve all customers without a single drop of tea spilled. I want everyone to maintain that record today, or there will be landslides and pain in your immediate future! We are not any old tea shop in Ba Sing Se. We are the Jasmine Dragon, the best and the greatest tea shop in all Four Nations! Perfection is not good enough for us! We must rise above and beyond all challenges so we may crush them to the lowest depths of the darkest abyss where they shall wallow in misery and defeat for all time! So are—you—with me?" She raised a fist as if she was defying the heavens.

The employees blinked and shuffled their feet in barely concealed boredom. Shen, one of Iroh's assistants, cleared his throat politely and nodded. "Yes, of course, Miss Toph," he said in his low, genteel tone. "We are with you."

"One hundred percent!" Min, the other assistant, gave her a thumbs up and a wide smile.

The Earthbender pretended to scowl, but a grin quickly replaced this expression. "Oh, you guys never let me enjoy giving rousing speeches!" she mock-grumbled. "Oh, go on!" She waved them all away. "Everyone, get to work." They quickly dispersed to attend to their duties in getting the shop ready for the day's business. Toph then turned and fixed her blind eyes directly on Iroh. "Someday, I'm going to give that speech and they will cheer," she swore. "You've really got to do something about the morale in here, old man," she teased with a smile.

He laughed. "Oh, Toph, I believe my employees are already as motivated as can be. They are the most well-paid tea shop workers in all of Ba Sing Se." As he spoke, Shen approached Iroh, bowed in greeting, then relieved his employer of the parcels and shopping bags he was carrying. While the assistant was doing these things, Min prepared the table where Iroh usually enjoyed his breakfast, then ushered the old general into his chair once Shen had departed with their master's purchases. He then moved smoothly to the other side of the table and held out a chair for Toph, whom he knew didn't like to be led to her seat. Shen reappeared a second later with a tray bearing a tea set and several bowls of delicious-smelling dishes. All of these actions were carried out by the two men with clockwork precision and grace. Iroh smirked at Toph. "And," he added, "they are also the most skilled employees one can find in Ba Sing Se."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. They're great." She took a sip of her tea. "But they could still be better!" She didn't really think that Iroh's workers needed improvement, but she never failed to be amused by the indignant huffs of Shen and Min whenever she teased them about being less than stellar employees. "So, anyway," she said conversationally, "all the arrangements have been finalized for Zuko's visit. He's going to be staying in the room across from mine, since you think he's probably not going to like being in the room he used to share with Mai. And though his letter said he wouldn't be bringing an entourage, I've still reserved a few rooms in the inn a block away from here, just in case. The local authorities in Ba Sing Se have also been informed about his visit, and they have been made to understand that it's a personal trip, not an official one. However, they're still going to assign agents to shadow him around the city for his protection, though they assure me that these men and women would be very unobtrusive and discreet. That's about it for our preparations. All Fire Lord Broody Pants has to do is show up any day now."

Iroh gave her a smile of gratitude. "I owe you a debt for taking such meticulous care of these details, Toph," he told her. "You have really amazed me these past few weeks with your skills in organization. You would do a fine job of running your own household someday."

She choked on her tea. "Great Spirits, Iroh! Don't be that impressed by my awesomeness! I did all this for you, because you needed the help, and also for Zuko, because he's a friend. That doesn't mean though that I'm planning to be some man's good little housewife."

"Is that so?" Since she couldn't see him, he made sure that his tone expressed the fact that he was only teasing her. "What about all those lovelorn young bucks that you like to torture so much? Do none of them capture your interest?"

"Nah." She shrugged. "It's all just fun and games with those guys. They only like me because I'm not like every other girl they've met before. As soon as I actually take one seriously, I wouldn't be such a challenge anymore." Then she smirked. "Though it sure is fun to be the belle of the ball these days, in a manner of speaking. I never had the chance before with Katara around, then Suki. Though I'm never going to be the girliest girl because I think that just sucks, still there are some benefits to knowing how to use one's feminine charms." Her grin was very wicked.

Iroh could not help but laugh at her unrepentant wildness. The girl who had once felt so awkward about her femininity had finally learned how to be comfortable with it. More important than that, she had accomplished this on her own terms, which only made her more formidable in his opinion. She was now a young woman completely confident in her own strength and allure, and that made her attractive in a unique way that could not be equaled by other females of her age. In fact, he thought that she was so appealing that if he were decades younger, he had no doubt he would be as besotted with her as any of her present suitors. But he was an old man, and his affection for Toph was like to that of a father's caring for his daughter.

His thoughts would have continued in this vein for longer if the sound of a bell announcing the arrival of a customer had not interrupted his ruminations. He noted with surprise that Toph went very still for a moment, then she hastily stood up. "Iroh, look!" she exclaimed. There was an uncertain smile on her face as her blind gaze focused on someone behind his shoulder. He turned his head to glance behind him and, for a heartbeat, he became as frozen as Toph had been earlier. Then he too rose from his chair and, arms stretched open before him, he hurried to welcome and embrace his nephew.

"Zuko!" he said joyfully. "You are finally here! Oh, it is such a pleasure to see you again!" He swept the young man into a tight hug, and he felt tears prickle his eyes when, after a second's hesitation, Zuko returned his gesture of affection. Then he pulled away gently so he could study his nephew's appearance more thoroughly.

In the bright morning sunlight that illuminated the interior of the tea shop, Iroh could clearly see just how pale and tired the young man looked, which had shocked both him and Toph when he had first arrived. Though Toph was blind, the fact that her Earthbending prowess had been able to easily detect how haggard Zuko was meant that he was truly unwell, causing Iroh greater worry. However, he resolved not to display his concern too overtly for he knew that his nephew would probably close himself off if he did that. So, instead, he put on his best smile.

"You have arrived at the perfect time. Toph and I were just enjoying breakfast. Come join us." He led Zuko to a new chair that Min had positioned at their table. "Did you travel alone? I know you mentioned that possibility in your letter, but we thought that it would be more likely for you to take a guard or two on your journey, especially if your counselors insisted upon it. Well, it seems that we were mistaken." Iroh hoped that his stream of inconsequential talk would put Zuko at his ease.

He was proven right when he noticed that his nephew's stiff demeanor relaxed somewhat. "My counselors did insist upon it," Zuko admitted, "but I overruled them. I intended for this to be a family visit, Uncle, so I thought it would be better for me to undertake the trip on my own. After all, I am still capable of looking after myself." His mouth then twisted into a wry little smile. "My journey on the way here actually reminded me a bit of our own adventures in the Earth Kingdom during the war. It is really good to be here again with you."

The old general beamed at the Fire Lord and repeated how glad he was that his nephew was paying him a visit. He began to serve Zuko himself as the young man then turned to greet the other person at the table. "Toph, it's good to see you again, too. Thank you for delivering my letter to my Uncle."

"Oh, it was no big deal. You can use me as a messenger any time because I actually like coming to visit this old dragon here." She smiled at him. "I hope you're ready to have some fun while you're in Ba Sing Se because Iroh and I have planned all sorts of diversions for you. By the end of the week, I promise you'll have forgotten all your Fire Lord problems."

Zuko frowned. "I hope those plans can still be changed because all I really want to do for the next few days is to sleep."

Both Iroh and Toph also frowned at the weary tone of his voice. He sounded completely uninterested in any fun activity that they may have arranged for him. The Earthbender was getting ready to tell Zuko about all the trouble they had gone through for his stay when her words were halted by Iroh's quick interjection. "Oh, that would not be a problem at all, nephew. You can definitely spend the next few days resting. Then, once you are up for it, Toph and I will show you around the city so you can reacquaint yourself with its many attractions."

Toph frowned, but she didn't say anything to contradict Iroh's declaration. After all, Zuko was his nephew and the old man had his best interests at heart. And, by the way he sounded, Zuko did seem like he could use a few days of uninterrupted rest before they could take him sightseeing.

So the young Fire Lord got the rest he wanted. In fact, as soon as they finished breakfast, he retired to his room and did not come out for days. Shen and Min delivered food to him regularly, but he made them leave the trays in the hallway and no one ever saw him set foot outside the door. Of course Toph could sense what he was up to with her Earthbending, but when Iroh finally grew worried enough to ask her about it, she could only reply that he seemed to be sleeping a lot or staring out the window. Iroh was torn when he heard this: part of him wanted to respect Zuko's wishes and leave him to his privacy, yet another part demanded that he do something to pull his nephew out of this dark mood. However, he wasn't the one who finally managed to lure Zuko out of his room. Toph was the person who accomplished this feat in the end, and it happened this way.

One evening, Iroh knocked on Zuko's door and said, "Nephew, I have received an invitation from the Ba Sing Se Merchants' Society for a rousing evening of music and Pai Sho. I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to this event. You could meet some business people who might be interested in investing in the Fire Nation."

There was silence for a few seconds, then Zuko spoke, his voice partly muffled by the door. "I'm sorry, Uncle. But I'm feeling indisposed. I hope you have an enjoyable evening."

The old man looked crestfallen. He reached out a hand to open the door so he could talk to Zuko face to face but, at the last moment, he changed his mind. He knew that confronting his nephew right now over Zuko's attitude would not end well since he was feeling his disappointment too keenly. So he merely said a soft goodnight and went on his way.

Toph had heard the whole thing, and she was so incensed by Zuko's behavior that she finally decided to take matters into her own hands. Enough was enough. He had hurt Iroh's feelings by his aloofness for the last time. Angrily, she marched up to his room and blasted the door open.

"What is the meaning of this?" he shouted in surprise. She sensed him ready his body for her attack, the scent of ash and fire suddenly permeating the air. But she didn't lash out at him with her Earthbending. Instead, she used a deadlier power: her tongue.

"You!" She pointed in the direction his voice had come from. "You should be ashamed of yourself! You're a grown man, but you're acting like a pathetic spoiled baby who can't even be kind to the one person who loves you better than anyone else. Don't you realize how much you keep hurting Iroh every day that you stay in this room to brood? He feels that he's failed to help you, and that just kills him every single time. You have no idea how much he's missed you and how happy he was when he learned you were coming to visit him, but you've never even made an effort to let him know you're glad to be here. What kind of a nephew are you? You're the only family he's got, but you're the one person who keeps hurting him more than anyone!"

"Shut up!" Zuko snarled at her. "You have no idea what's really going on with me! So shut your mouth before I shut it for you!"

"Oh, yeah?" She took a stance that clearly showed she was ready to fight him if he attempted to do such a thing. "Try your worst!"

According to eyewitnesses who were interviewed by the local Ba Sing Se authorities later, the upper apartments of the Jasmine Dragon had just exploded without any warning, scattering fiery debris everywhere on the street, and two young people had fallen to the ground below. They had stood up, looked at the damaged building, and faced each other. "Uncle's going to kill us," the male of the pair was overheard saying to the female, then both of them turned on their heels and ran for their lives.

Toph was laughing like a loon-weasel by the time they reached the Fire-Light Fountain. She slowed down then stopped completely, clutching her belly as her laughter continued. Zuko paused beside her as well, scowling a bit. "It's not funny," he scolded. "Uncle will really kill us."

"You're rich," she said negligently. "Just pay for the damages. But, yeah. He will still find a way to kill us." Finally getting control of her laughter, she sat down at an angle on the edge of the fountain so that she could dip her hands into its sparkling waters. She still had a smile on her lips, though Zuko wasn't sure if it was because she was amused by the thought of their impending death at Iroh's hands or if she was enjoying the feel of the water as it cooled her skin. As he looked at her, he realized a few things that had escaped his notice before.

The Earthbender had grown up. There was a distinct feminine air about her now that had never been present before, but the softness was tempered by the force of character that had given her the will and the strength to become one of the Avatar's warrior companions at a young age. She was still quite short, barely reaching up to his shoulders, but her body had blossomed with curves and her dark hair fell loose and free almost to her waist.

"What are you looking at, Princess?"

To his utter embarrassment, Zuko saw that she was smirking at him. Then, to his complete mortification, he realized that his face was reddening. "N-nothing, of course," he quickly said, and blushed more fiercely than ever when she laughed.

Still laughing, she stood up and moved uncomfortably close to him. "Don't get weird," she said softly. "I was just teasing you. Come on." Her small hand, rough against his skin, slipped into his hand. "Let's go see what Ba Sing Se has to offer tonight."


End file.
